Bacon-Brown Sugar Coffee Cake

Here's the bacon coffee cake recipe I've been thinking about for a few weeks. I wanted something that would use the savoriness and richness of bacon, caramelized with brown sugar. And I wanted to give coffee cake an extra grounding, so it would have a more weighty bottom note to make it even more satisfying.

Surprisingly, I think I hit it on the first try. The cake itself is the classic sour cream bundt cake recipe, but the swirl/streusel part is different (and far superior, IMO).

Bacon-Brown Sugar Coffee Cake
(c) 2009 Moxie/Magda

6-8 slices bacon (regular or sugar or maple-cured, but NOT peppered or jalapeño or garlic or anything you wouldn't want in cake)
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups AP flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup uncooked rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bundt pan.

Fry the bacon slices until crisp. Set aside to cool and drain.

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in to creamed mixture and blend.

Crumble or chop bacon slices into little pieces. Add dark brown sugar and oats, and mush together with your fingers to get the bacon and sugar blended and clumped with the oats. It will be a loose mixture, but you want the three elements to be well-acquainted with each other.

Put half the cake batter into the bundt pan (you'll have to put globs of it in--it's a thick batter), then top with half the bacon mix. Put on the rest of the batter, and top with the remmaining bacon mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until done (test with a toothpick or your finger). Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. If you let it cool for a few hours, the cake itself seems to taste a little sweeter.

Comments

[giddy]

This sounds wonderful! Just wondering, though--if you use a bundt pan, shouldn't you put 1/2 the bacon mixture in before you put 1/2 the cake batter, since the bottom becomes the top? Or are all the bacon-y streusel bits supposed to be INSIDE the cake only? I've never really made any kind of coffee cake at all, so please excuse my ignorance.

Anyway, I think I might go down and make this right away, for Easter!

[AmyinMotown]

aaaannnd now I know what Paul is having for breakfast on his birthday. (You inspired me to come up with an all-bacon menu. NO, I am not trying to kill him. he's turning 40 and needs a little cheering up).

[Moxie]

It seems to caramelize better without burning if you put it on the top (which ends up being the bottom of the cake).

My brother couldn't stop raving about it, and my 7-year-old ate an enormous slice.

[Lisa]

I am drooling. mmmmmmm, bacon.

[lwh]

Love bacon, and this sounds delish. By the way, have you ever tried "frying" bacon in the oven. Super easy (because clean-up is a breeze), and the best bacon I've ever had, hands down.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Place bacon on parchment paper in single slices, and bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on how thick your bacon is/your oven/how crisp you like it). When done, move to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Throw away used parchment paper and re-line jelly roll if you have more bacon to cook.

No splatters!

[SarcastiCarrie]

Moxie - Do you trouble shoto recipes? I have an heirloom cake frosting recipe that I have made three times and have never gotten it to turn out like Grandma used to. My most recent attempt was the closest I have ever come but the consistency was too thin.
I remember you said once you used to be a recipe developer or tester, so maybe you know.

[betseeee]

Sounds like I'm going to need to get myself a Bundt pan!

[magpie]

jaw hanging open. like, why didn't i think of that? sounds awesome.

[Moxie]

SarcastiCarrie, why not post it and we'll see if we can figure it out.

[theresa]

Oh, I am so glad you posted the recipe. Having actually had the pleasure of trying the Bacon cake - can I just say it was even better than it sounds. Mmm, yum.

[Preved]

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[Maura]

If you like bacon cooked in a hot oven on either parchment paper ,or my way on foil, either seems to work.
Spread the slices on the jelly-roll pan and sprinkle with fine brown sugar; use a generous hand with the sugar if the bacon is fatty.

Bake in a hot oven (400-450 degrees) until bacon is done to desired crispyness, about 12 - 14 mins.
Sublime.